[Andt]

While cleaning out the chicken shed earlier today I found red mite in a few places, I assume they are also living in the sawdust.


I have seen fumigating bombs for sale on Ebay and am thinking of buying some, has anyone used them before and are they any good? At the moment I am using Total mite Kill and diatom powder.

[jaykay]

They tend to mainly live in the cracks and under the end of the perches, rather than the sawdust.

I keep them under control with Total mite kill and diatom powder too. But in the summer, if I don't do it every week, the numbers rise.

Some folk use steam cleaning on them when they clean out the house - gets in the cracks.

The only thing I ever used that was completely successful was diesel but then the house was out of use for two months.

I'm not sure bombs would control them since whilst it might kill the live ones it would kill the eggs which would just hatch again tomorrow. I think you need something with some residual action really.

[chrismahon]

If the fumigating bombs are Sulphur based I would avoid them Andt. The smell will get into the wood and render the coop uninhabitable. The fumes take the back of your throat out! Also strips the plating off screws and hardware.
 
I would recommend a steamer with a fine nozzle at it will reach up into the tongue and the groove of the cladding -that's where they hide. Kills eggs and mite very effectively, but not as good as creosote.